ISLAMABAD – Pakistan witnessed a second straight month of improving security indicators in April, with militant attacks and related casualties declining sharply, according to new data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The Islamabad-based think tank documented 85 verified militant attacks across the country in April, representing a 42 percent decrease from the 146 attacks recorded in March. Fatalities resulting from those attacks also fell significantly, from 106 in March to 60 in April, continuing a downward trend that began the previous month when overall combat-related deaths had already dropped by 35 percent.

Security analysts attributed the improvement to a cross-border military campaign Pakistan conducted against anti-Pakistan militant groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18. That operation concluded with a ceasefire and subsequent peace talks hosted in Urumqi, China.

According to PICSS, total combat-related deaths in April—including those from militant attacks and security forces operations—stood at 291. Militants accounted for the overwhelming majority of these deaths, with 224 killed, representing 77 percent of the total. The remaining casualties included 28 security forces personnel, 37 civilians, and two members of pro-government peace committees.

Losses among security forces personnel declined dramatically, falling 53 percent from 59 in March to just 28 in April. Civilian fatalities remained relatively stable, with 37 deaths recorded in April compared to 39 the previous month.

Injuries also showed marked improvement. Overall injuries dropped from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38 percent decrease. Civilian injuries fell from 98 to 54, while militant injuries declined from 57 to 31. Injuries among security forces personnel saw a modest decrease from 48 to 46, and no injuries were reported among peace committee members in April.

- Low-Intensity Attacks, but Notable Exceptions

The 85 militant attacks recorded during the month were largely low-intensity incidents, though PICSS noted several exceptions. These included two suicide attacks in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a high-profile assault on a mining facility operated by National Resources Limited in Chagai district of Balochistan.

Despite the overall drop in attacks, security forces operations remained robust. PICSS reported that 224 militants were killed in April, a figure nearly identical to the 228 killed in March. In total, security forces have killed 988 militants during the first four months of 2026.

Regionally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued to record the highest number of militant attacks, followed by Balochistan. In mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attacks declined slightly from 51 in March to 45 in April, while fatalities remained unchanged at 34.

The most significant improvement was observed in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA). There, militant attacks dropped by 40 percent, from 35 in March to 21 in April. Deaths from these attacks fell sharply to just six, an 82 percent decline, according to PICSS.

Crucially, security forces intensified operations in the tribal districts during April, killing 120 militants—up from just 24 in March. That figure accounted for more than half of all militant fatalities nationwide for the month.

Balochistan also experienced a notable turnaround. Militant attacks fell by 69 percent, dropping from 59 in March to 18 in April. These attacks resulted in 17 deaths, including 10 linked to the high-profile assault on the National Resources Limited mining facility in Chagai. Security forces killed 66 militants in the province during April, though this was lower than the 145 militants killed there in March.

Elsewhere, an isolated attack in Chilas district of Gilgit-Baltistan resulted in the deaths of three police personnel. No militant attacks were reported in Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, or the federal capital Islamabad during the month. However, intelligence-based operations conducted by security forces in these regions led to the arrest of eight suspects—five in Sindh, two in Punjab, and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Cumulatively, during the first four months of 2026, PICSS recorded 401 militant attacks across Pakistan. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 190 civilians, 158 security forces personnel, and seven members of pro-government peace committees. Injuries during the same period included 469 civilians, 167 security personnel, and seven peace committee members. Meanwhile, security forces killed 988 militants and arrested 121 suspects nationwide, according to the data.